President's MessageMy theme as APNA President is advocacy—each and every one of us needs to become an advocate for our specialty. For many, advocacy simply means an active engagement in dialogue with governmental legislators and regulators. While this is true, it is only the tip of the iceberg. More importantly, our message needs to be delivered to a much wider audience than a handful of legislators or regulators. We as psychiatric nurses know that language influences thought. How many times have we heard others describe mental health professionals as psychiatrists, psychologists and social workers? We are not in their thoughts, because we are not in their lexicon. We must be ever ready to remind others to include psychiatric-mental health nurses in their description of the behavioral health provider team. When we go...Cont'd.

2010 APNA Elections
Voting is now open for the 2010 APNA elections! Vote online or click here to download a paper ballot.
Please mail paper ballots to:
APNA Elections
13945 Marblestone Drive
Clifton, VA 20124
This is an exciting time of year—all it takes is a moment to vote and in so doing impact APNA's direction over the coming year. The positions up for election this year are: President Elect, Treasurer, two Members-at-Large on the board and three elected seats on the 2011 Nominating Committee. Browse our Online Election Guide for an introduction to the candidates!

CPI - Programming Highlight!
Do you want to be able to discuss the clinically significant psychotropic drug interactions with your colleagues and clients?
Can you differentiate pharmacokinetic from pharmacodynamic psychotropic drug interactions?
Would you like to learn how to better evaluate your patients’ medication profiles to minimize drug interactions?
Join us for Psychotropic Drug Interactions, a session to be presented by Dr. Mary Gutierrez at this year's Clinical Psychopharmacology Institute. Take a look at all of the terrific topics that will be covered at CPI and then Register Now!

Recovery to PracticeWe are excited to report that APNA has been chosen as one of five national participants in a SAMHSA initiative to transform the concepts of recovery from a set of beliefs to recovery-oriented nursing practices. As part of this five-year project, psychiatric nurses, psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers and peer specialists will research current activities in recovery-oriented care and develop strategies on how best to implement recovery components into mental health provider education and practice. Click here to read SAMHSA's press release about this exciting project. SAMHSA is also offering a FREE Webinar, Implementing Recovery-Oriented Practices 1: Emerging Trends in Program and Workforce Development, on June 8th. For more information, download their Save the Date Flyer.

Hawaii Passes APRN Model Language
No doubt you have heard that Hawaii has passed an act relating to nursing practice. APNA Executive Director Nick Croce wrote to our friend Wailua Brandman and asked for his reaction. Click here to see what Wailua had to say and for further information on this legislation.

RVS Update Committee (RUC)
The RVS Update Committee (RUC) is in the midst of re-evaluating psychiatric reimbursement rates. This committee has made numerous recommendations to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services that have significantly affected the Medicare provider payment schedule. Most importantly, the committee has done so by giving providers a voice in the shaping of Medicare relative values....Cont'd

DSM-V Draft
Earlier this month APNA submitted its formal response to the DSM-V Draft Criteria. The response was put together by our Institute for Mental Health Advocacy and incorporated comments submitted by members. Read our response.

Mental Health Parity
As a member of the Mental Health Liason Group, APNA worked with a number of other organizations to comment on the Interim Final Rules for the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008, which was published in the February 2, 2010 Federal Register. The liason group has worked tirelessly over many years to pass federal legislation that would end health insurance discrimination against persons who need coverage for mental health and substance use disorder services. We were therefore anxious that the Interim Final Rules implement the Act to ensure parity at all levels of coverage. Read the Mental Health Liason Group's comments on the Interim Final Rules here.

Let's Discuss!
You've probably noticed a lot of new activity on Member Bridge, not to mention a new daily email in your inbox. We recently re-launched theAll-Purpose Discussion Forum on Member Bridge in order to give you what you've been asking for: a place to discuss anything and everything related to psychiatric mental health nursing with fellow members. Several interesting discussions are already in progress and if you haven't yet visited the forum, please do! Maybe you'll find that you can help other PMH nurses by answering questions they've posted in the forum or that another member has found a solution to an issue with which you've been struggling. Log in now!